Friday, September 17, 2010

WICKED BACON & COFFEE BROWNIES

I've always been a sucker for rich and highly flavorful noshes such as brownies or smoked bacon. I like my food to be tasty, comforting and naughty, so there is no wonder that those two items occupy the top of my list when it comes to my favorite grubs...

As much as I care about my health and diet I cannot resist a viscious treat especially if it's good. I believe that we aren't meant to go through our existence without having a little indulgence here and there. It would not be worth going through life's pitfalls if we were only meant to suffer. As a matter of fact if it were not for the very gratifying and comforting pleasures of life we would surely not stay on the boat for so long. It would be a pretty tough ride otherwise. Everybody needs an encouraging reward now and then.And if I go to Hell for thinking or behaving hedonistically, I don't mind as I'm 100% sure it is full of epicureans as all the sad and bitter people end up in Heaven!!!

"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."- English Proverb -

Anyway, now that the weather and Nature's look are autmnal I am really starting to crave chocolaty desserts and "dirty" baked goods. So, the other day I got the idea to make brownies that would be original and diabolically droolworthy. For that I inspired myself from Alice Medrich's "Bittersweet Brownies" (this recipe can be found in her "Pure Desserts" cookbook) and created a totally new recipe that came out of my airy-fairy imagination.

As I had been meaning to try confectioning a sweet goodie with bacon since quite a while I thought that it would be awesome if I added that visciously delicious and crispy charcuterie to my brownies. In order to counter balance the round and exhalirating aromas of smoked bacon I also used 72% dark chocolate,Turkish coffee (not the brewed version but the fine coffee powder), purevanilla bean pastefrom Australia and pink salt from Himalaya.

In my opinion, real Brownies that make make you drool incontrolably and have that oomph quality to them have to be super fudgy, moist, chewy, sludgy, dense, full of character, ever so slightly "cakey", intensely flavorful and mindblowingly calorific. If they are not in this way, then there's no fun and they are then granny chocolate cakes (I don't mean to insult grannies, though) and that's all.

Thankfully, those "Wicked Bacon, Turkish Coffee & Dark Chocolate" carry their name very well as they are indeed pornographically gorgeous and simply to die for. Those are Brownies with balls. They are soooooo bad!

Method:1. Fry the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels, and cool completely. Cut in small pieces.2. Preheat the oven to 180° C (350˚F) and position a rack in the lower third of it.3. Butter a 20 x 20cm (8inch) square baking pan and cover the bottom with parchement paper.4. Place the chocolate and the butter in bain-marie bowl and place it in a pan of almost-simmering water.5. Stir constantly until mixture is melted, smooth and warmish. Remove the bowl from the pan and set aside.

6. With a mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla together on high speed until the mixture is thick and pale in color, about 2 minutes.7. Whisk in the warm chocolate, then fold in the flour and the coffee. Whisk energetically in order to get a shiny, viscous and homogenous batter. Then mix in the bacon.8. Scrape the batter into the greased and paper lined pan and spread the batter evenly.9. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes.10. Cool in the pan on a rack.11. Once the brownies are cold, invert them on rack and peel off the paper.12. Turn right side up on cutting board and cut into sixteen 5cm (2inch) squares.

Remarks:The original recipe didn't contain as much salt nor did it comprise bacon and coffee. You can make those brownies without those ingredients and with less salt (1/4 tsp), but don't forget to replace the coffee by the same amount of flour (1/3 Cup + 1Tbs).

Serving suggestions:Eat those brownies whenever you need a chocolate fix and accompany them with a glass of very cold milk.

What a combination, Rosa. The brownies are to die for! I just adore the way you cut them up so nicely, so fudgy and so well cut! WOW! I love love love the brown crackly crust your brownies have! Too good, Rosa!

These sound wicked indeed ;)Using bacon would have never entered my recipe of brownies until now that you've mentioned it. Now, look what you've done! I was very pleased with my amazing brownie and now I'll have your twist to this recipe on the mind ;o)

You naughty, naughty girl to tempt us so! And what indeed is life without a little indulgence, pleasure and something gooey, rich and decadent? And your pictures are fabulous! I am making brownies this weekend!

I think that when you enjoy a really wicked good chocolate dessert it's worth the calories. For one thing because of it's richness you are satisfied with a small amount and you would probably eat more if it was just okay:)Throw in a few beautiful photos and it's very satisfying:)

These brownies are the epitome of decadence! I would love a taste, if nothing else, to find out how bacon and chocolate go together; actually I would eat them happily because they are made with the best ingredients. I have never seen vanilla paste. Interesting!

Ha ha ha, hats off to you Rosa! Definitley agree the odd indulgence or three is definitely needed :) I actually feel less like eating "naughty" food if I know I'm allowed to have it (if that makes sense). Still working my way up to putting bacon in brownies, but these sound awesome! Fabulous job.

Wow, Rosa that is such a daring combination to add bacon into your brownies but it also makes perfect sense! I would almost say that bacon makes almost everything taste good but I guess that is not entirely true..lol... In either case I love the addition of bacon here and I so want to try this out to taste it for myself!